Spirit Day: Looking Back & My Regret

In light of tomorrow being Spirit Day- I thought I'd take the opportunity to create a post for all the youth out there. The title of this post may seem misleading but should you keep reading it will all be put into perspective for you. 

Firstly, what is Spirit Day ? Spirit Day is day when people wear purple in support of LGBT youth who are victims of bullying, the day takes place annually on October 19th. Started in 2010 by a Canadian student- Brittany McMillan, Spirit Day has since become known internationally thanks to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The name of this day originates from the purple stripe of the Rainbow Flag (also known as the Gay Flag) which is said to represent "spirit" according to the creator of the flag- Gilbert Baker.

On a day such as Spirit Day- it is likely that one would share their stories of how they overcame bullying, and how it has made them a stronger person. Unfortunately, I am incapable of doing so. The reason I say "unfortunately" is because I was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Having attended an all boys school- I learned to reassert my "straightness" by verbally degrading homosexuals and what it meant to be gay. I would be lying if I told you that no one was offended or harmed by my immaturity and insensitivity, and for this- I carry a great amount of shame and regret. My actions were a result of my internalized fear of being who I am and although this does not justify my actions, it is what has led me to this weeks message:

Only the weak result to bullying, but the STRONG overcome it...

Should you find yourself the victim of bullying now or anytime in the future I want you to remember one thing: You're not alone. Despite their being millions of other victims who now stand taller and prouder than ever, there are also people (such as myself) that have come to realize that we were wrong- and that most of our actions were consequence of some internal obstacles we had yet to overcome (whether it was issues at home or within ourselves). More importantly- I want you to know that some of the world's most influential figures withstood hate and bullying too, and they're no different from you. 

On Spirit Day I will be wearing a purple ribbon in support of all the victims out there and hopefully I will be creating awareness. My greatest hope is that I get to bump into one of MY victims, someone who had endured MY hate, and for me to be allowed the opportunity to ask for forgiveness and show MY SUPPORT. And I am not alone, apart from the numerous celebrities that will be wearing purple, there are also various organizations such as The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation , You Can Play Project ,  It Gets Better , "I Choose" Anti-Bullying Campaign and The Born This Way Foundation that will be out in full force combating bullying. Why don't you join us and show your support?!

Colin Farrell Stands Up AGAINST Bullying

For the first time ever, I will not be putting a Final Thought to my post, the reason being because I have yet to make my mind up. I will however be leaving a comment at a later stage- telling you how my day went and what the day meant to me. I wish you all a bully-free, happy Spirit Day and leave you with this video by Todrick Hall called It Gets Better. Check it out:

Support At The VMA's

Tomorrow is the MTV Video Music Awards, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share with you some artists that are worth reading about.

Music has been the one constant in my life. We all relate to music in different ways, and regardless whether it's rock, electronic or classical, music has been there for us through out time. Music tells a story and sometimes it just uplifts one's spirit. I know that many of you out there feel as though music may have saved your life, and I think to a certain degree we've all been just as moved. A combination of music and emotion.

Personally, I take more interest in an artist when they're more than just a famous figure with a great voice. When an artist shares their own vulnerability, their pain or even when they show their support- it allows me to greater connect. Today I will be sharing some artists that I feel are prevalent in the support of gay rights.

Although many people would suggest that artists who support human rights do so strategically to obtain more exposure/publicity (and ultimately a bigger fan base), they are also loosing a percentage of support by supporting gay rights. The reason I believe so many artists still show their support for the LGBT community is because it's the right thing to do. When you relate to music- you connect with an artist, and when you know that the artist supports you as a whole, it makes that connection so much more authentic.

Recently, some rather large names have been showing their true colors in support. Both Kanye West and JayZ spoke up for marriage equality when they backed Barack Obama in his announcement of support earlier this year. 50 Cent showed his support in a recent interview when talking about rapper Frank Ocean's sudden coming out. Adam Levine and Madonna (who both have a gay brother) are constantly standing up for the community as are divas; Cher, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Cindy Lauper, Alanis Morissette, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera. The support is endless, Lily Allen sings it in her song Fuck You, and Carly Rae Jepsen shows it in the recent hit, Call Me Maybe, music video . And if that wasn't enough, pop icons Miley Cyrus and Pink also share their support for the community too; with Miley getting inked in support of marriage equality and Pink having a gay wedding in her Raise Your Glass music video.

Miley's Marriage Equality Tattoo

Adam Levine and his brother Michael

Recently openly gay rapper Frank Ocean

Here I sit in the unfortunate position of not being able to share all these artists stories of support with you, simply because there is far too many. With some of the biggest names in the music industry mentioned it's hard to believe we still need support. And that's just the straight allies (as I like to call them). Lady Gaga, Sam Sparro, Ricky Martin, Elton John, Tracy Chapman, Mika, Adam Lambert, George Michael, Frank Ocean, Chris Willis, Michael Stipe (Lead singer of R.E.M), Kere Okereke (Lead singer of Bloc Party), Will Young, Lance Bass, Boy George, Freddy Mercury and all the boys of the group The Scissor Sisters are just some gay, lesbian and bisexual artists to date.When I look at this list I can't help but notice how many of these artists are SO INCREDIBLE at what they do and respectfully so.

Singer/Song-writer Sam Sparro

Bloc Party lead singer Kere Okereke

Final Thought:
After reading this star-filled blog post I want you to be left feeling in awe. Awe, because of the star power that backs the gay community and most importantly you. None of these artists are defined by their sexuality- and neither should you be. Their music, from which we gain pleasure and fulfillment is just a by-product of their amazing characters. You hear them on the radio, you play them on your ipod- and now you have them on your side.  As the late Freddy Mercury once sang, "open your eyes, look up to the skies and see."

If you're looking to find out other gay artists check out this Top 50 Gay Artist Post. Also- check out video of the week to see Mika speak out about love before performing a song OR watch Mariah Carey and Kylie Minogue's gay fans purpose on stage during their concerts. Alternatively you could watch the Carly Rae Jepsen and Pink music videos below.

I apologize if I have left any artists out, in all honesty there are far too many stories and people to share in this instance.